LAHORE: Indian movie Udta Punjab, a crime drama by director Abhishek Chaubey, which in its opening week in India did business of Rs 330 million has been banned in Pakistan’s two major provinces Punjab and Sindh. The film is also not expected to be released in KPK and Balochistan.

The movie faced controversy in India too but was finally released in India on June 17 after receiving go ahead from the Bombay High Court as the court asked Indian Central Board of Film Certification to reduce the initial 89 cuts to only one scene where the character was seeing urinating.

In Pakistan the main reason for ban is the too much use of abusive and vulgar language. Member Punjab Censor Board Kanwal Nauman told The Nation that Udta Punjab movie was initially screened before the Punjab Censor Board when two of the members of board including her and Khalid Zia did not give it clearance for screening.

“We asked the importer of film to present it before full board. The full board under the chairmanship of Zeba Muhammad Ali, and Vice Chairmanship of Usman Peerzada, with members including Khalid Zia, Kanwal Nauman and Sohail Zia will make final decision,” Kanwal said.

“We have our own traditions and culture here in Punjab. There is a lot of abusive and vulgar language used in the film. It does not match our own culture here. In Indian Punjab it may be okay with them but for us it does not fit in,” Kanwal said.

Chairman of Censor Board Sindh, Fakhar-e-Alam, said they have simply asked the importers of the movie to ‘mute’ the abusive language of the film which has been frequently used in the movie. “There is absolutely no case of political grounds to review the movie as we have our own laws related to pass the movies through the censor board,” he said.

Answering a query Fakhar said Udta Punjab was a powerful film based on the upheaval of drug addiction among youth of Indian Punjab. “We have no problem with the film as the movie addresses the problem that has taken place in Indian Punjab. Our concern is the use of fowl and vulgar language in the film,” he said.

The film is based on the rise of drug abuse in Indian Punjab. It has been produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor. The star-studded cast includes Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Diljit Dosanjh.